Lily plant named ‘Sunny Azores’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant named ‘Sunny Azores’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit; relatively broad leaves; freely flowering habit; upright flower buds; white-colored flowers with yellow-colored centers; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Lilium hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNNY AZORES’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant, commercially known as Oriental Hybrid Lily, botanically known as Lilium hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunny Azores’.

The new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new compact potted Oriental Hybrid Lily plants with healthy foliage, large attractive flowers and good postproduction longevity.

The new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant originated from a cross-pollination in 2000 of two unnamed proprietary seedling selections of Lilium hybrida, not patented. The new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the resultant progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands in July, 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant by bulb scales in a controlled greenhouse environment in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands since November, 2007 has shown that the unique features of this new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunny Azores’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunny Azores’ as a new and distinct Oriental Hybrid Lily plant:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Relatively broad leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Upright flower buds.     -   6. White-colored flowers with yellow-colored centers.     -   7. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are more compact than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are broader         than and not as long as leaves of plants of the female parent         selection.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have larger flowers         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily and the male parent         selection differ in flower color as plants of the male parent         selection have pure white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily can be compared to plants of the Oriental Hybrid Lily ‘Sunny Okinawa’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,328. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ from plants of ‘Sunny Okinawa’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have broader leaves         than plants of ‘Sunny Okinawa’.     -   2. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have larger flowers         than plants of ‘Sunny Okinawa’.     -   3. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily and ‘Sunny Okinawa’         differ in flower color as plants of ‘Sunny Okinawa’ have         white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily can also be compared to plants of the Oriental Hybrid Lily ‘Sunny Bahamas’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,368. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ from plants of ‘Sunny Bahamas’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have larger flowers         than plants of ‘Sunny Bahamas’.     -   2. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily and ‘Sunny Bahamas’         differ in flower color as plants of ‘Sunny Bahamas’ have         white-colored flowers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunny Azores’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 15-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typically used in Oriental Hybrid Lily commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 18° C., night temperatures averaged 15° C. and light levels averaged 6,000 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were 120 days old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lilium hybrida ‘Sunny Azores’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Lilium hybrida, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Lilium hybrida, not patented. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright plant habit; single erect             flowering stem with a terminal cluster of flowers; compact             and dense plant habit; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 35 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 22 cm.         -   Plant circumference.—About 68 cm.         -   Bulbs.—Diameter: About 10 cm to 20 cm. Texture: Smooth.             Color: Close to 155D.         -   Flowering stems.—Diameter: About 7 mm. Internode length:             About 2 cm to 3 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Towards the base, close to 200A; towards             the apex, close to 137B.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple; sessile; about 37             leaves develop per plant. Length, upper leaves: About 15 cm.             Width, upper leaves: About 5 cm. Length, lower leaves: About             10 cm. Width, lower leaves: About 4 cm. Shape: Broadly             lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Acutely cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth;             leathery. Venation pattern: Parallel. Color: Developing and             fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A;             venation, close to 137A. Developing and fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation, close to             138B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape and aspect.—Flowers umbellate and             funnel-shaped; when fully opened, flowers flatten and tepals             recurve towards the apex; flower buds face upright and             flowers face upright to outwardly.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit, large bulbs will             produce about six to nine flowers per flowering stem.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant; sweet, pleasant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower in June and July in             The Netherlands; plants can be flowered year-round in the             greenhouse and forced to bloom about 120 days after planting             bulbs.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Good postproduction longevity,             flowers last about 15 days on the plant; tepals not             persistent; gynoecium persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 10 cm. Diameter: About 4 cm.             Circumference: About 12 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Color: Close             to 145D; color becoming closer to NN155D with development;             sutures, close to 186C.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 18 cm. Length (height): About             10 cm.         -   Perianth.—Quantity and arrangement: Six tepals per flower             arranged in two whorls; tepals imbricate. Tepal length,             inner tepals: About 12 cm. Tepal width, inner tepals: About             6.5 cm. Tepal length, outer tepals: About 13 cm. Tepal             width, outer tepals: About 4.5 cm. Tepal shape: Lanceolate.             Tepal apex: Acute. Tepal margin: Entire. Tepal texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Tepal color:             When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to             NN155D; centers, close to 13C; spots, close to 13C; at the             base, close to 145A; color does not change with development.             When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to             NN155D; midvein, close to 186C; color does not change with             development.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Angle:             About 45° to 70° from flowering stem. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 138B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Six.             Filament length: About 7.5 cm. Filament color: Between 145B             and NN155D. Anther length: About 3 cm. Anther color: Close             to 180C. Pollen color: Close to 160B. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Style length: About 8 cm. Style color: Between             144A and 145A. Stigma diameter: About 5 mm. Stigma shape:             Lobed. Stigma color: Close to 79A.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Color:             Close to 145A.         -   Seeds.—No viable seeds have been observed on plants of the             new Oriental Hybrid Lily. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Oriental Hybrid Lilies has not been observed on plants of the new     Oriental Hybrid Lily. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have     exhibited good tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to     tolerate temperatures from about −2° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lily plant named ‘Sunny Azores’ as illustrated and described. 